Don’t Be Mad

Have you ever been mad, just to be mad?  Someone may have sorta kinda hurt your feelings, and you take the opportunity to get mad.  You stay mad for so long that after a while, you have to ask yourself who or what has made me so upset.  

I can remember one morning when I awoke from a dream where I was upset with my husband.  In the dream, I was rude and short-tempered to him.  Of course, I don’t remember what happened in the dream, but the dream seemed so close to reality that once I got up that morning, I started communicating with my husband in the same fashion as in the dream.  He looked at me and said, “how can you wake up so ill, what is wrong with you?”  Then like a jolt back to reality, I realized what I was doing.  I had no reason to be mad or upset with my husband; it was just a dream!

Do you know what the Bible says about being mad?  A lot!  And not just in Ephesians, where Paul tells us to be angry but not to sin.  Everyone likes to throw that one around.  

The Bible is full of scriptures instructing against being mad.  Anger leads to evil (Psalms 37), commits many sins (Proverbs 29), and strays from righteousness (James 1).  The scripture also calls us fools (Proverbs 12, Ecclesiastes 7) and tells our husbands they are better off living in the wilderness than with an angry woman (Proverbs 21)!

If the Bible is so explicit about not being mad, why do we do it?  Anger is one of those quick emotions that, if fueled the right way, can lead to disaster.  I had to stop and apologize to my husband that particular morning and ask for his forgiveness over my foolish mistake.  So the next time we want to rant and rave at our husbands, children, or co-workers, even if we feel warranted to do so, let’s be reminded of Proverbs 15:1, a soft answer turns away wrath.  Don’t be mad, be glad!

Be blessed

The Ultimate Stain Remover

You cannot raise boys without having a stain remover readily available during laundry time.  With a house full of boys, I have become an expert at removing stains!  But sometimes, no matter how hard I scrub, my sons’ stains will not come out of their clothes.

During one of my many laundry days last week, I realized every article of clothing from my sons’ school uniforms had to be pre-treated with stain remover!  (I’m giving you the face slap emoji right now).  As I sprayed, scrubbed, and set aside, the old faithful hymn came to mind.  What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus?  Oh precious is thy flow, that makes me white as snow.  For my cleansing this I plea, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  

There is no stain so deep in our lives that can’t be washed away by the ultimate stain remover.  Jesus is the ultimate stain remover!  By the shedding of his blood on the cross at Calvary, Jesus washed away all my sins, He cleansed me and made me whole, white as snow.  Sin-filled and stained lives, Jesus died for every one of them.  His grace, mercy, and love go beyond our understanding but are free to us all.  By accepting Him as our Lord and Savior, we never have to worry about spraying and scrubbing ever again.  All sins, past, present, and future, have been removed.  The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7, 9).   

Take a moment to thank God for sending the ultimate stain remover, His son Jesus!  So that we may be without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27).  Don’t you just love doing laundry, wink!

I Need A Break!

I needed a break this week, and God knew it!  The previous week had been filled with all the usual adventures of my crazy, busy life and then some.  This week was looking the same.  But, God subtly sent a few cancellations and change of plans my way.  I knew I could not get upset as I normally would when my plans and scheduled events are disrupted because I could hear God saying, “I am giving you some time, not for you but for Me.”  I was busy cleaning house when I heard this and stopped in my tracks.  Word of advice, when God is calling you, stop and do what He is asking.  So, I spent a while in His Word, meditating and thanking Him for total control over my life.  You know, that control we think we have but is and always will be ultimately His.  

Well, by the end of this same week, Hurricane Ian arrived.  Everything always comes to a screeching halt in my hometown when a storm comes.  I was not prepared for this storm, again out of normal character for me, so I had to FROG it!  Fully Rely on God!  God spoke into my spirit again and told me to give time to my family.  Unrushed, quiet time.  The rare kind of time.  So again, I obliged.  My family and I prayed for God’s protection over our home and the many that would be impacted by the hurricane.  We all went to bed that night with a prayer and hope in our hearts.  We lost power through the night but awoke to basically an untouched home.  

Proverbs 19:23 says the fear of the Lord leads to life and whoever has it rests satisfied, untouched by evil!  I awoke thanking God for this week.  He gave me rest, unrestricted time, and a home untouched by disaster, all by the quiet whispers of His grace.  The takeaways here: Don’t ignore the still small voice of God.  Fear the Lord and be obedient.  He will give us all we need, and we will be blessed (Psalms 128:4).

First Response

First Response

When a motor vehicle accident occurs that requires much attention, an alert is carried out to trained professionals such as paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, and police officers.  This particular group of people is referred to as a “First Response Team” or “First Responders”.  They are trained and qualified to assess and manage the situation immediately upon arrival.  

In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah receives the devastating news that God’s beloved Jerusalem is in bad shape.  The city walls have been destroyed, and thus, enemy attacks are prevalent.  The Jews are in great distress.  

Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah 1:4 says, “ Nehemiah sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”

Nehemiah’s first response was not to call 911 or call on a first response team or even call other fellow Jews to help decide how to address and handle this problem.  Nehemiah’s first response was to fall on his knees and cry out to God.  In fact, his fasting and praying lasted approximately four months!  

Nehemiah fully understood the power of prayer and the power of a God who cares so much for us.  Do we?  Is prayer our first response or a last resort?  We should get into the habit of daily communicating with God.  Nehemiah didn’t just pray and leave it at the altar.  He spent four months communing with God until he heard from the Lord and His instructions on what to do next.  We should too.  Talk to God every day, even about the little, mundane situations of our lives.  He wants to hear about it.  He loves us that much.  Once we get used to an open conversation with God, prayer will automatically and instinctively become our first response to any and every situation.  And as we wait upon the Lord for his answers and instructions on what to do next, we will renew our strength, mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31).  Amen!

 

Be blessed!

Be anxious for nothing!

Be anxious for nothing!

“Really, God?” we may ask.
“Yes,” God says.
“But God, you know I’m human, right? I cannot not worry!”
“Yes, I know, but you are a child of the King!”

In the movie Coming to America depicts a young prince, Akeem Joffer, who wants for
nothing.  He is awakened by an orchestra, bathed, clothed, and even has his teeth
brushed by servants every day.  Rose petals are placed down before each step he
takes. This is a man who worries about nothing! Whatever he can imagine he wants,
he can have it.

Most of us will never come close to this care-free, no-worries kind of life, but yet, this is
exactly how God instructs us to live. He doesn’t say, “your child is sick; you can worry.”
“Your finances are low; you can worry.” No! He gives us one all-inclusive directive in
Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Do not worry about a thing!

Whatever you are worrying about today that has you so anxious and perhaps losing
sleep. God simply says pray, with gratitude, and give Me your requests. So go ahead,
open your Bible, and read the scriptures to remind yourself of His promises and truths.
Remind yourself of how good God is and how He is sovereign over all. Then get on
your knees and pray. Ask God to help you cast all your cares on Him. You may worry
again tomorrow, but that’s okay because Psalms 68:19 says Praise the Lord, who daily
bears our burdens. For today, give all your worries to God, then tomorrow, repeat steps
1-3!

Be blessed